POLITICAL parties should be allowed to conduct campaigns freely ahead of the August 11 polls as long as they have adhered to the Public Order Act, Youth Association of Zambia director (ZYAFAC) Rickson Kanema has said.

In an interview, Mr Kanema said he was pleased to see the opposition political parties holding public rallies across the country without challenges.

He stated that Zambians and political parties in particular have the right to hold rallies anywhere in the country provided they followed what was provided for in the law.

“Political parties have a right to interact with their members,” he said.

Mr Kanema said every province was a fraction of a bigger nation called Zambia. As such, every citizen was free to conduct political activities without being harassed.

“Political parties play an essential role in the governance and democratic process. The establishment of democracy demands determined and concerted efforts to bring it into being,” he said.

In order for democracy to be well established in Zambia, there was need to strengthen political parties because that was what guaranteed democratic governance.